I Promise
by QuEeNoFrAnDoM
Summary: Sequel to Lucky. Remus tries to fulfill his promise to James and Lily eight years after their death. Rated for language and many awkward situations.
1. So Nice To Finally Meet You, Mr Lupin!

** Disclaimer:** I own nothing, and I'm still saving up for Remus! D 

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Nine-year-old Harry Potter yawned, sitting up in his cupboard bedroom at the sound of Aunt Petunia rapping on the door sharply. 

"Up! We have a visitor coming later this afternoon, and I want you to look nice and sharp so as to set a good impression! Up!," she hissed through the vent in the door, and Harry nodded, knowing she wouldn't see it anyway.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he said in his usual dull voice. He quickly opened the door, hearing her go into the kitchen, and reached in to grab some clothes, only to hear his cousin's voice from the stairwell.

"Oi, you. Mum told me to tell you that Dad has got clothes for you in the living room. They're hoping the visitor will take you with them when they leave, so they want you looking nice," Dudley said dully.

Harry blinked. "Okay. Thanks, Dudley," he replied, heading for the living room.

Once in the room, Uncle Vernon turned to him, shoving a stack of clothes into his hands. "Move all your things into Dudley's second bedroom. Just for today. You can change up there. No funny business, got it, boy?," he asked threateningly and Harry nodded, hurrying to get his set task done.

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Harry, Dudley, and Uncle Vernon all sat in the living room, listening to Aunt Petunia give them instructions on behavior towards The Visitor'. Harry wore a white dress shirt with a pair of black dress pants and a new pair of trainers, and had had his hair ferociously brushed by Aunt Petunia. Not that it did any good. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were dressed similarly, except that Dudley's pants were a navy blue and Uncle Vernon's a deep purple and that both wore matching dress shoes. 

Aunt Petunia paced in front of them, wearing a simple yellow dress and matching heels. She turned to Dudley. "Duddy, you be very polite to the visitor. We don't want him to think we're mean to Harry! So just be your perfect self!," she crooned, and Dudley grinned amusedly, nodding.

Harry fought back a bout of laughter as Aunt Petunia turned to him. She smiled unconvincingly. "You will speak respectfully, be polite, and will only speak when spoken to. Got it?," she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Harry nodded, and Petunia just smiled at Uncle Vernon, telling him not to threaten the man. Vernon grunted and nodded.

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Remus knocked on the door, frowning as there was the sound of an angry voice and someone scrambling to get the door. Within seconds, a messy-haired child had opened the door and was looking at him. Remus smiled painfully. "Hello, you must be Harry. My name is Remus Lupin, and your aunt and uncle invited me here," he said kindly, and the boy nodded, letting him in. 

_'Unusually quiet. He looks like James, with Lily's eyes...But acts nothing like either of them!,'_ thought Remus calmly, smiling at the boy's aunt and uncle as they greeted him, both smiling. Petunia then ushered him into the living room, where he sat down.

"So nice to finally meet you, Mr. Lupin!," gushed Petunia, and Remus fought back a gag and settled on smiling instead.

"Same to you, Mrs. Dursley, Mr. Dursley. As you both know, I came to discuss your nephew's parents' will. In regards to Harry," he explained, and they nodded. Remus noticed Harry scooting forward in his seat excitedly.

"Well, I was a friend of theirs in school, mainly James, but I knew Lily...And I remember them leaving Harry in my care upon their death, as his godfather is unable to at this time," he added. "So I, naturally, called a lawyer and explained. He said I should meet with you. I wish to take Harry and raise him until the time that he comes of age."

Petunia and Vernon blinked, and Harry gaped.

"You mean...You want to take me away from them?!," cried Harry incredulously.

Remus laughed. "Unless you'd rather stay here, Harry. Your parents wanted desperately to keep you among friends, after all," he said. "But there _is_ one condition."

Vernon frowned. "And what might that be?," he asked dangerously.

"You would have to take Harry once a year. Preferably for just a week during the summer," explained Remus, and Petunia's face fell slightly, but she recovered her smile.

"Of course! We'd love to have Harry back once every year! Right, Vernon?," she said sweetly, glaring at her husband, who was slowly turning a deep shade of purple. Dudley sat on the end of the couch, looking forgotten as he stared at Remus happily.

"S'right," grunted Vernon. "You want to take him now or come back for him?" Harry looked at Remus hopefully, and Remus laughed.

"I could take him now, if he's all packed," he said. "And if he doesn't mind spending a few hours alone tonight. I do have to work," he said, and Harry grinned.

"I'll get my stuff!," he cried happily, jumping up and dashing from the room.

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	2. No Such Thing As Magic!

** Disclaimer:** Own nothing. -sob-

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Harry sat in the kitchen of Remus' new house, surrounded by boxes and bags. He looked around, wondering where Remus was. Most of his line of sight was blocked by the maze of boxes, but he could hear the stove. Then he picked up a newspaper from the table.

"Remus?," he called.

"Mmyuh-huh?," came the reply from the other side of the boxes, by the stove.

"What's _The Daily Prophet_?," he asked, and he heard Remus drop something on the counter.

"Wizard magazine," replied the werewolf calmly.

"Wizard? What do you mean? It's about wizards?," pressed Harry.

"No, it's for wizards," said Remus, reappearing with two plates of spaghetti and placing one in front of Harry and one at his seat before grabbing a bottle of wine and pouring some for himself.

"Uncle Vernon says there's no such thing as magic...," said Harry, just as Remus was taking a sip of his wine. Remus choked, coughing and spluttering before jumping up and grabbing a glass and filling it with water, gulping some down.

"No such thing- No such thing as magic?!," cried Remus. "I knew those Muggles were stupid, but I didn't know that they were that stupid! Feeding lies to a young boy!"

"Lies?"

"Harry, you're a wizard," said Remus, staring at Harry in disbelief. Harry gaped.

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	3. So, Tell Me More About This School

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Note: I'm doing this on a horrible computer. Will edit when I get home. Just wanted to get it up.**

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"A-A wizard?," stammered Harry, in more awe than disbelief. He had always believed in magic, much to his aunt and uncle's annoyance, but he had never guessed he was a wizard. "I-I can't be! I'm just Harry! Just Harry!" 

Remus sighed, trying to think of what Hagrid would say in this situation. Hagrid was much better at this sort of thing than he was.

"Well...Harry, have you ever made anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain?," Remus asked, smiling at the shocked look on Harry's face. "Exactly. You are a wizard, Harry, whether you believe it or not. And don't worry if you don't know how to use magic, there's a school for that. I went there, and so did both of your parents."

Harry looked up at Remus. "So, tell me more about this school..."

"Gladly," said Remus with a grin. "The school is called Hogwarts. You can only get to it if you're a wizard or witch, and only by magical means of transport, such as the Hogwarts Express, which leaves every year from King's Cross on September 1st, only carrying witches and wizards between the ages eleven and seventeen. There are four houses at Hogwarts, named for it's four founders: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. You get sorted into our houses by trying on a hat-" Harry snorted with laughter- "That can read your mind and will yell what house you belong in."

"What house were you in?," Harry asked curiously.

"Me, your father James, your mother Lily, your godfather Sirius, and our friend Peter were all in Gryffindor. It was James and Sirius' job to torment the Slytherins, such as Severus Snape, who currently teaches Potions at Hogwarts, I believe, He should still be there when you start there, but let's not hope for the worst, shall we?," joked Remus, and Harry snorted again. "Anyway, finish your dinner and I'll tell you more before bed. I want you rested up, because we're going for a trip to a prison tomorrow, to visit an old friend of mine. He'll be very surprised to see you, I daresay," said Remus. "But should you feel uncomfortable while we're there, just tell me, okay?"

Harry nodded and began to wolf down his dinner so as to hear more about 'Hogwarts.'

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**Moony: I dunno, probably in the end. -tosses a cookie point- I suggest you save those. You can buy story comments from me with them. AND FRIENDSHIP: D**


	4. You Look Just Like James

**Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing.**

**Note: I'm doing this on a horrible computer. Will edit when I get home. Just wanted to get it up. **

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Harry looked up at the castle, shuddering. It was dark and grimy. He understood why they were there, sure, but he didn't know who they were to see.

Remus put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, smiling at him before breathing sharply as they entered the ancient prison, looking at the guards warily. Harry felt as though he'd been doused by freezing water as they stumbled down the hallway, when he felt a strong hand grab his right arm. He gasped as he was pulled around to see a ferocious-looking woman with very messy black hair and wild, heavy-lidded brown eyes, grinning evilly through the bars of her cell. He stared at her in horror as she rasped, "Harry Potter! It's you! You're here! And I got you! He'll be pleased! Really pleased!" She turned away from him, cackling madly. "MASTER! HE'S HERE! HARRY POTTER! Oh, if you could-"

She was cut off as a guard glided over, reaching through the bars and grabbing her shoulder. She slumped over onto the floor and the guard looked at Harry, seeming to realize he wasn't a prisoner somehow, and glided off. Harry let out a breath and looked at Remus.

"Bellatrix Lestrange. She was insane even before she was chucked in here. This place made her worse. She's the man we're here to see's older cousin. They hate each other," Remus explained, pulling Harry away from the now-sobbing Bellatrix. Within minutes, they had found the cell Remus was looking for and he nodded to the guard, who opened the cell door and let them in. There was a man huddled in the far corner, mumbling to himself.

Remus frowned. "Sirius?," he called cautiously. "It's me, Moony."

_Sirius? As in, his godfather, Sirius?_ Harry blinked as the man looked up at them, eyes widening. "Don't lose it, Padfoot. Gotta find Pettigrew. Bring him here. Kill him. I'll kill him. I'LL KILL HIM!," the man screamed the last sentence, and Harry watched as the man threw himself onto the floor. "James...Lily...Forgive me...My fault...I promised...Harry...JAMES!"

Harry felt a wave of pity wash over him and ignored Remus as the older man tried to stop him as he hurried to the man's side, placing a gentle hand on his spine.

"S-Sirius? Sir?," he murmured.

The man jumped, looking at him. "How d'you know my name?," he croaked.

"Rem-Moony told me. My name is Harry. Harry Potter," replied Harry gently, smiling shakily. The man's eyes widened. "Moony? Harry?," he murmured, and the guards began to huddle around the cell, seemingly ecstatic at Sirius' reaction to the boy.

"Yes, I'm Harry...," said Harry, his smile more confident.

"You look just like James...But Lily's eyes...Lily's eyes...," the man said, putting a hand on Harry's cheek.

Harry glanced at Remus, who looked horrified. Sirius looked at him. "Moony?"

"Hello, Black. Nice for you to join us," Remus said stiffly. "And here I thought you'd be in your own little world all bloody day."

Sirius smiled in a very pained way. "Pleasure seeing you, too, Moony. Come to hear what really happened when Lily and James died?" Harry blinked, and he saw Remus go pale slightly. "Or did you come so you could have me to keep Harry from running when you tell him you're a werewolf?," spat Sirius suddenly.

Harry's eyes bugged out of his head as he looked at Remus. "A-A werewolf?"

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	5. You're His Guardian!

**Disclaimer: Doth own naught but my writing skills.**

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"_A-A werewolf?,_" stammered Harry, horrified. "My guardian is a werewolf?!" 

Then, he turned and ran, and both men looked shocked.

"You're his guardian?!," cried Sirius in surprise.

"Harry!," cried Remus, not responding as he saw Sirius change into Padfoot out of the corner of his eye, and both raced through the open cell door after the nine-year-old. Padfoot barked as they got closer, pouncing on the boy.

"Be careful, Padfoot! He's just a child!," shouted Remus, pulling the enormous black dog off of his charge, helping the boy sit up. Harry edged away from him, then saw the pained look on Remus' face.

"...I'm sorry...I'm just...shocked," murmured Harry, hugging Remus. Remus blinked, glancing at Padfoot, who whined.

"V-Visit's over. Let's go," Remus said, standing up. He looked at Padfoot, winking. He noticed the guards flooding into Sirius' cell and yanked the dog out into the cold daylight. Harry stared at the dog.

"Where did that come from?," he asked. "Harry, you may remember Padfoot," said Remus, smirking as Harry gaped at the dog.

"Pa-foo!," he said, grinning. He had learned Sirius' nickname as a baby, when a red-haired woman would yell at the shaggy-haired man who would lean over his crib when he was little less than a year old. He hugged the dog, smiling.

He then looked at Remus. "So...what...We're smuggling him out?" Padfoot barked excitedly, looking at Remus hopefully.

"I suppose there's nothing else we can do," said Remus defeatedly. Harry and Padfoot grinned, and suddenly they got up. Then, they all hurried off to catch the boat back to London.

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	6. We'll See You September 1st

**Disclaimer: Own nothing. Still saving up for that damned werewolf pretty-boy.**

**Note: Time-skip to Harry's third year of Hogwarts. **

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****

Remus looked around his den at the people wandering. There was Albus Dumbledore, the wise old Headmaster of Hogwarts; Arthur and Molly Weasley, parents of seven children; Minerva McGonnagal, the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts; Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius' favorite cousin's daughter; Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror in charge of tracking down Sirius; and Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a retired Auror who had filled up most of Azkaban prison single-handedly.

There was also a number of other people, but the author of this story is lazy and doesn't feel like remembering them all. Harry was upstairs, working on his summer Charms homework, and Dumbledore was now speaking to the rest of the Order of the Phoenix, all of whom were paying no attention due to the blistering heat.

"...And our final matter of business...Hogwarts is still in need of a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, due to Professor Quirrel's demise and Professor Lockhart's memory being erased by young Misters Potter and Weasley," he said, his usual twinkle back in his clear blue eyes as he turned and looked at Remus. "So, Remus. Will you take the job?"

Remus turned and stared at Dumbledore, awestruck, as did Minerva.

"But Albus! Mister Lupin is only thirty-three, and a werewolf at that! No one will take him seriously!," she protested.

"But sir! I'm only thirty-three, and a werewolf! No one will take me seriously!," I protested simultaneously, and the rest of the Order began to chuckle.

"You may have forgotten, but Severus is thirty-three as well, and a reformed Death Eater. I'm sure you'll do just fine, Remus. We'll see you September 1st," Dumbledore said, smiling as he swept from the room, a horrified Minerva McGonnagal hot on his trail.

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	7. Chocolate Solves Everything!

**Disclaimer: Own nothing. Still saving up for Remus..._Still_..**

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Remus smiled at Harry, patting the dark-haired boy's head as they both clambered onto the train, heading into the nearest empty compartment with Sirius on their heels, his claws clipping noisily on the ground as he walked. 

"Cool dog, Harry!," called a boy with dreadlocks as Remus walked into a compartment and Harry patted the "dog's" head as it followed him in.

"Thanks Lee!," Harry replied, beaming as he entered the compartment.

---

They hadn't been in the compartment for more than five minutes when the door opened and in ran a bushy-haired brunette and a grinning red-head.

"Harry! How was your summer?," cried the brunette, flinging her arms around his neck. Harry and the redhead laughed.

"Hi 'Mione. It was good. Have you guys met Remus?," he asked, gesturing to his guardian, who was staring moodily out the window.

"He seems a bit out of it, mate," said Ron doubtfully. "Who is he?"

"My guardian. He's coming to teach this year! Dumbledore asked him to!," replied Harry, and Remus looked at them, smiling.

"Hello," he said simply, patting Sirius' head. Sirius barked and placed his head on Remus' lap, seeming to grin.

"Remus, these are Ron and Hermione, the best friends I told you about. Guys, this is Professor Remus John Lupin, our Defense professor for this year!," said Harry as Hermione settled into the seat next to him and Ron sat across from the three of them.

"Nice to meet you, sir," said Hermione, blushing slightly. Harry smirked at her, giving her a knowing look. She blushed even more.

"Wotcher?," asked Ron, seeing Remus take out a bar of chocolate from inside his robes.

"Chocolate," Remus and Harry explained simultaneously.

"He's a chocoholic," added Harry.

"Chocolate solves everything! I'm prepared, okay?," asked Remus, grinning at his charge, who laughed.

Ron and Hermione looked stunned for a second, then started to laugh. Just then, the compartment door slid open again, revealing a thin, pale boy with a pointed chin and beautiful blond hair.

"Hello Potty. Weasel," he retorted, then shot a glare at Hermione before noticing Remus looking at him inquiringly.

"Potty?," repeated Remus with a chuckle. "Weasel? Very creative, young man. May I ask why you feel the need to bother us?"

"Er...Just came to say hello, sir. I'm Draco Malfoy," he said, looking kind of scared.

Remus smiled. "Professor Remus Lupin. I knew your father, you know," he said casually.

"Did his dad hate mine, Remus? Please say yes!," cried Harry hopefully.

Remus chuckled. "Of course he did. James hated all Slytherins, Harry. Especially Malfoys and Professor Snape," he said.

Harry grinned happily.

Draco blinked and backed out, not wanting to get caught in the professor's reminiscing.

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**Moony: She's horrified at the fact that their new staff member is a werewolf.  
**


	8. Just Answer The Question

**Disclaimer: NOO! YOU MAY NOT BUY REMUS BEFORE ME! I LUUUV HIM!**

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Remus smiled to himself as he sat in his new office. Dumbledore really needed to learn to shut his trap at times, but some of his speeches were pretty good. Sirius sat in the corner of the office, carving what looked like an old bar of soap into a butterfly. After a second, he held the finished figurine up to the dim light of the office before putting it on the floor and changing into Padfoot, padding over to Remus and sitting at his feet before changing back. 

"Remus...What made you believe me?," he asked curiously. Remus looked at him.

"What?"

"Why did you help me out of Azkaban?"

"..."

"_Reeemus!_ Answer me!"

"..."

"Don't make me steal your hidden chocolate stash!," threatened the Animagi slyly.

Remus' eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare," he snarled.

"You wanna bet?," asked Sirius, only to be tackled by the stunningly handsome werewolf.

"Yes, I do," Remus breathed, smirking as Sirius turned tomato red.

"J-Just answer the question," stammered Sirius nervously.

Remus sighed. "Fine," he said, getting to his feet and sitting down in his chair. "To tell the truth, I didn't fully believe you until we got home and you explained everything. And not even then. Not until I saw how happy you and Harry were to be re-united. No traitor would be happy spending time with the person-or people-they betrayed's children. It made me wonder a bit, though. Why did Harry trust us so much? He was thrilled to come live with me, when I hadn't seen him since he was a baby, and once he realized who you were, he trusted you immediately as well...For all he knew, we could've been trying to kill him."

"You've got a fair point," murmured Sirius, a thoughtful look on his gaunt face. He yawned, then smiled at Remus. "Well...G'night, Moony," he said calmly before getting up, changing into Padfoot, and going off to curl up on Remus' bed.

Remus smiled. "G'night Pads," he murmured, then grabbed a book and began to read. Within half an hour, he had fallen asleep.

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**Note: ...No...I'm not sane.**


	9. What'd He Ever Do To You?

**Disclaimer: That sounds fair, Syl. We have an accord. xD  
**

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Remus woke up the next morning to find himself being shaken awake by Sirius, who looked rather anxious. 

"You're gonna be late for your first class, Remus! You need to get down to the staff room!," he said quickly, and Remus grimaced, rubbing his eyes and getting up. Soon, he was on his way out the door with Padfoot hot on his heels.

---

**( Harry's P.O.V. )**

I looked up at the sound of the staff room door opening and turned to Hermione and Ron, who were arguing heatedly. I nudged Ron and pointed to Remus, signaling for them both to shut their traps. _'Stupid lovebirds...,_' I thought sourly.

"Good morning, class. Sorry I'm late. My name is Professor R.J. Lupin and I'll be your Defense teacher for this year. You may be wondering why I called you into the staff room instead of the classroom, and-," Remus was cut off by an unmasked whisper from the back of the room that floated over the crowd of the third-year students.

"You don't say?," hissed Draco Malfoy loudly.

"I wonder where he gets his robes...A Muggle costume shop?," wondered Pansy Parkinson before bursting into silent giggles and Millicent Bulstrode snickered beside her.

"Why don't you both shut up?," I roared, before I knew what was happening. Everyone turned and stared at me. "Just leave Remus alone! What'd he ever do to you?!"

I saw a pained smile on Remus' face as he looked at me, and my heart soared. My outburst had actually made him kind of happy...Weird. It always got _me_ into trouble...

"Well, it's more the fact that Dumbledore's brain is rotting in his wrinkled ol' head. First that idiot Lockhart, then that oaf Hagrid, and now this tattered old shell of a man," said Pansy snootily. Hermione gasped.

"You little bitch!," she shouted, and everyone gasped, even Malfoy. Hermione had cursed. HERMIONE. HAD. SWORN.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

"YOU HEARD ME, PARKINSON! DON'T INSULT HAGRID OR LUPIN EVER AGAIN!"

"AND WHO'S GOING TO STOP ME?! YOU?!," shouted Pansy. "You're nothing but a filthy little mudblood!"

Everyone gasped again, and Remus looked pissed. He walked over and wrenched the now-wrestling girls apart. First, he turned to Pansy.

"20 points from Slytherin for the use of that word in my class and for insulting a teacher. And 5 points each from Slytherin and Gryffindor for fighting. Pansy, I'll be talking to Professor Snape about you later," he said stiffly, his eyes shining with anger and reminiscing. I frowned.

"Oh, and by the way-Pansy, if you ever use that word again in my presence, be sure that you'll get more than a detention or have some points taken from Slytherin,"he snarled, turning and glaring at the girl, who was silent with fear. Remus looked at me, smiled, and went back to the front of the class.

Padfoot, who was sitting in the corner, looked as though he was quite enjoying himself, so I beckoned him over and started scratching his head.

His tongue lolled out of his mouth as I did, and I smiled. "You're so full of yourself, you stupid dog," I murmured, winking at him. As I looked away, I was sure that Padfoot winked right back.


	10. Read It To Me

**Disclaimer: Sylwithia and I have decided to share Remus once we buy him. -turns away- Still trying to run away, eh?**

**Lucius: YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!**

**Author: Hmm, necrophilia? Not really my style...**

**Lucius: ...You're such a perv.**

**Author: -raises eyebrow- _Orchestra kid_.**

**Lucius: ...Touché.**

**Author: On another note, this chapter is dedicated to a random conversation between me and my good friend Colin. **

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Remus John Lupin loved chocolate. It was his favorite thing in the entire world. Just ask _anyone_! He loved the taste of dark chocolate hitting his taste buds, bitter and sweet all at once. He loved the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the delicacy...But mainly, he loved that there were many ways to serve chocolate. Chocolate chips, chocolate cookies, chocolate pudding, chocolate mousse, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, and just plain chocolate. There are only a small number of things in this world that Remus considers worthy to take his attention away from his favorite food. The first on the list is Sirius Black. 

On one particularly hot Saturday evening in the beginning of Harry's third year, Remus found himself sitting in his office with a large slab of his favorite Honeydukes chocolate and a new book he had bought in Hogsmeade earlier that day, when Sirius happened to come sauntering out of Remus' private quarters, draped in nothing but a Gryffindor towel and soaking wet. Remus couldn't tear his eyes away from the taller man, and found himself drooling slightly.

To distract himself, he found himself cracking open the book and lowering his eyes to read it, shoving the slab of chocolate between his teeth so that the entire thing dangled from his mouth. Sirius turned and looked at the teacher, smirking. He climbed up onto the desk, lying down and letting his legs dangle over the front of the desk as he propped his head in his hands.

"Whatcha readin', Moons?," he asked lazily.

"Nothing you'd like. It has no pictures," Remus said, his words slightly muffled by the chocolate between his thin, slightly scarred lips, but clear nonetheless. Sirius scoffed, offended, and he pried the book from his friend's hands, sitting up and flipping to the first page, looking down at it. Remus raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired man, whose cool gray eyes traveled the page lazily for about three seconds before he thrust it into Remus' hands again.

"Read it to me," said Sirius calmly, and Remus' jaw dropped.

"What?!"

"Read it to me, arsehole. I don't feel like reading all those little words myself, so get to it," he said. "But wait until I'm dressed," he added as an afterthought, and Remus looked slightly disappointed as the Animagus jumped from the desk and wandered back into his quarters to change.

---

About two minutes later, Sirius wandered back in wearing a pair of denim jeans and a white t-shirt with the words 'Gotta Love Me' printed on the front in bold black letters. **(Inspiration for the shirt from Franki, who once wrote a song in fifth grade called 'G0774 Luv M3', right before which he'd learned L337...Sort of...)** "Read to me. Now," he ordered, and Remus sighed, locking the door so as to keep anyone from coming in and seeing Sirius, then opening the book and starting to read.

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**11-year-old Remus: The scary author-lady has given us permission to thank you for all your wonderful reviews.**

**Sirius: Aww! Rem! You were so adorable back then!**

**Remus: ..._Were? THEN?!_**

**Sirius: Duh. Now you're just damn sexy. -winks-**

**Remus: -latches on-**

**11-year-old Remus: O.O**

**11-year-old Sirius: -watches as though mesmerized-**

**16-year-old Sirius: We wanna watch, too! -drags 16-year-olds James, Peter, Lily, and Remus behind him-**

**16-year-olds Remus, Peter and James: We do?  
**

**16-year-olds Lily & Sirius: Yes. _We do._ -glare at them-**

**16-year-old Remus: ...-goes back to his book-**

**16-year-old James: -plays with his stolen Snitch-**

**16-year-old Peter: -cowers in the corner from Lily & Sirius' glares-**

**Author, James, Franki, & Sirius: READ AND REVIEW, SUCKAS!**

**Author: By the way, the book will be read in the next chapter and is actually an original composed by Franki. Most of my material comes from him, sadly...  
**


	11. Even After He Was Laid To Rest

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, as Franki owns Remus' book.**

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_"'Twas a cold day,  
In the middle of June_,  
_When out of his house was carried Emmett Loon.  
Loon loved all,  
But hated the rest,  
And everyone loved him,  
Even after he was laid to rest.  
_

_Loon was friend to all,  
Human, bird, and all other manners of beast,  
But his favorite companion was his dog, Bert._

_What you read here today, is the story of Bert Loon,  
Emmett's beloved mongrel,  
The son of the stars,  
And the traveler most know not._

_So now I will tell you the tale of that courageous dog,  
And his journey to death.  
And of the un-dead master of this beloved mutt,  
To whom he owed his life,"_ Remus read, and Sirius smiled. This was a story about a dog? Good enough for him. He scooted forward on the floor at Remus' feet, anxiously biting his lip and waiting to hear more as Remus flipped from the introduction, past the Table of Contents, and finally landed on the first page.

"_Chapter One: Emmett_.

_"Emmett J. Loon was a kind man, and a clever one at that. He could trick you into giving him one thousand dollars easily, and his dog, Bert, was a wonderful pickpocket. Emmett loved to be caught stealing from people, because everyone knew him, and he was never arrested for it. To tell the truth, Emmett was a rich man because of this, as no one bothered taking the money back, since they all lived in such a small town!_

_"Emmett loved to have fun. He bought Bert from an animal shelter when he was forty-four years old, and Bert had loved him immediately. The man just had something really likeable about him, that forced you to like him. He stood at about six-foot, and was actually rather muscular, and had shimmering amber eyes and curly gray-brown hair that he grew long and wore in a thin ponytail. Bert was anything but. He was thin and raggedy, with deep gray eyes that seemed to see into your very soul, and he had the most beautiful black fur you'd ever seen._

Sounds like someone else we know, eh, Padfoot?," Remus said, raising an eyebrow and grinning. **( F/N:Yes...They're supposed to be counterparts of Rem and Siri, but opposites. )** Sirius grinned and poked Remus' leg, motioning for him to continue.

"_Bert loved Emmett more than anything. Bert would do anything for his master! By the time the pup was a year old, he was nicking newspapers from people, stealing people's wallets, and even taking food. No one liked Bert, but they didn't dare hurt him in case Emmett got on them about it. Emmett was known for his nasty temper._

_One day, a beautiful young widow came by Emmett's house with a nice, well-baked pie for Emmett. Bert didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. He had a horrible feeling about this woman, and he was sure it had something to do with the hate-filled looks she kept shooting him. But he could tell Emmett liked the woman, so he tried to be nice to her._

_"Ah'm tellin' you, Emmett! Tha' dog has ta go! He's been dreadfully mean to my Petunia!," Bert heard the woman saying to Emmett one day, and he nudged the three-year-old beside him gently with his muzzle. The girl giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting one pudgy cheek on the back of his neck and letting his long brown curls fall down his back._

_Bert loved Petunia. He loved her like the friend he'd always had in Emmett. But one day when Petunia was six-years-old, he wandered into her room to find two other girls in there. They all froze and looked at him. The other two grimaced, and Petunia smiled at him, hurrying over and patting him on the head._

_"Bert! This is Lucy an' Sophia Dahling_,_ those twin girls from down the road what my Mommy was talking to yer Daddy 'bout. Lucy, Sophia, this is Daddy Emmett's baby dog Bert! He's seven, an' he's really nice! An' pretty, huh?," she asked them, and they shook their heads._

_"He ugly!," said Lucy meanly, glaring at Bert, who whimpered slightly under the unkind gaze._

_"And a coward, too!," added Sophia, her blond curls bouncing as she laughed cruelly._

_"Don't talk about Bert like that! I love-," Petunia was cut off as her mother walked in._

_"Tuney, I came to ge' Bert. I finally convinced yer Daddy to ge' rid of the stupid mongrel," she said, grabbing Bert's collar. Bert whined loudly, trying to get back to Petunia, who gasped._

_"NO! DON'T TAKE MY BERT! MOMMY! LEAVE HIM 'LONE!," cried Petunia sadly as Bert was dragged from the room, and the Darling twins laughed evilly, jumping up and trotting after them as Petunia began to sob loudly,"_ finished Remus. "And that's the end of that chapter."

Sirius sniffed. "That was beautiful. I want a Petunia!," he said, then grinned and jumped up and placed his hands on Remus' knees. "Will you be my Petunia, Moony?," he asked curiously. Remus grinned and patted his best friend's head.

"Sure, weirdo. I'll be your loving little owner, who happens to be a werewolf," he said, and they both laughed.

* * *

**READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE! I'LL GIVE YOU COOKIE POINTS!**

**Grr...Didn't know how to fit Harry into these chapters...If you want him to be in the next, comment about it: D**

**F/N: Franki's Note**

**C/N: Caitlin's Note**

**K/N: Katrina's Note** (QuEeNoFrAnDoM on GaiaOnline)


	12. They Deserve It

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**

* * *

Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley sat in the closed doorway of Remus' office, a wicked smile playing on each of their faces as they listened to Remus reading to Sirius, then their mini-conversation.

"Should we?," murmured Luna evilly.

"I think we should," replied Ginny, nodding.

"Definitely," added Hermione.

"They deserve it," finished Harry.

"But what if-," started Luna, only to be cut off by Harry.

"We get caught? Don't worry, Lu, I have a plan," he said, his smile turning into a grin of pure evil as he took the Invisibility Cloak from his pocket and draped it around the girls and himself just in time to see the door to the office open.

**(K/N: So...Harry told them about Siri's innocence?**

**F/N: I guess so...) **

They scrambled back as Remus and Sirius walked out, Sirius immediately becoming Padfoot, and the two hurried off. The girls looked at Harry, who slipped out from under the cloak, opening the Marauder's Map and activating it. "They're headed for the kitchens. We have ten minutes if they don't use shortcuts," he told them, and they nodded, following him into Remus' office.

Luna took out her wand, tapping the wall by the window with it so that the images on the wall, including the window, flickered, then did the same to the other walls and finally back out of the room and Harry hurried inside, pulling the Cloak with him and shooting them a mischievous grin as he jotted something onto a piece of paper and put it onto Remus' bed before hurrying out and muttering a spell to the doorframe, which glowed red for a moment as the four teens scurried off.

* * *

**Oh no. What are they planning? You'll see in the next chapter! YAY! Sorry the chapters are so short, guys! ):  
**

**READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE! I'LL GIVE YOU COOKIE POINTS!**


	13. Fulcio, Scientia, Carus, and Equitas

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**

* * *

Remus chuckled, opening his office door and looking at Sirius, who was carrying a large bag of food in his jaws, his grey eyes twinkling merrily from behind his Animagus form's face. He felt a slight tingle in his hands and let Sirius in first before closing the door behind him. There was an ominous click and Remus blinked, looking at the door. 

He hadn't locked it.

Sirius looked up, just having changed back into a human, and with a piece of chicken dangling from his mouth. He spit it out, calling, "Wuzzit, Moony?"

"I think the door locked itself," Remus replied, tugging on the door handle. The door didn't move. He then noticed the note on the nearby wall and grabbed it, reading aloud,

"_Moony & Padfoot,_

_Have fun! Don't worry about your class, Moony. You won't be able to get out until you confess to Padfoot!_

_- Fulcio, Scientia, Carus, & Equitas -The New Marauders_"

Remus blanched and tossed the letter into a nearby dustbin. "'The New Marauders?!' They're kidding, right? Please tell me that they're kidding, Padfoot!," he groaned, smacking his forehead with the open palm of his right hand and sighing.

"I dunno...Sounds pretty legit to me...They even have nicknames. Crappy ones, but nicknames nonetheless," said Sirius, picking the letter from the bin and uncrumpling it, re-reading it. "And what do they mean 'confess to Padfoot'? Confess what?"

"Er..."

"What?!"

"I-I...Um...Can't tell..You..."

"_Moooooony_! _Tell meee_!," whined Sirius as Remus sat down in a chair, red in the face. Sirius did his best puppy-dog pout, jumping into his best mate's lap.

"Er...Well..."

"TELL ME!"

"I LOVE YOU, YOU PRAT!," shouted Remus, then he clamped his hands over his mouth, turning a brilliant shade of maroon. Sirius stared at him in disbelief, falling to the ground with a _thump!_

"You...I...You...Huh?" Sirius was dumb-founded. Remus loved him? He blushed, then laughed. "Prat, I thought it was something horrible! Why didn'tcha tell me?," he asked, getting up and draping his arms around Remus' neck. Remus gaped.

"W-What?," he stammered, surprised and still a bit embarassed from his outburst. Sirius laughed and kissed Remus right on the lips, grinning as he pulled away and the door opened, allowing four teenagers to tumble into the room. A blond girl, a boy with very messy dark hair, a girl with bushy brown hair, and a red-haired girl. They all jumped up, and the boy pointed at them.

"I KNEW IT!," he shouted, then let out a mad cackle. Remus raised an eyebrow and Sirius fought back his own cackle of amusement, but the three girls looked unfased. **(C/N: TRIBUTE TO ME AND MY FRIENDS:) Thanks for putting up with my insanity, friends! -huggles Colin, Jarah, Britney, Erin, Maggie, Katrina, and Franki- )**

"He do that often?," asked Sirius, grinning.

"Yeh, Fulcio is pretty insane at times," said Hermione, placing a hand on top of Harry's head, and Harry snarled, snapping his teeth at her warningly. She blinked and pulled back.

"Fulcio, HUSH!," said Ginny, whacking Harry.

"OW! YOU'RE MEAN, EQUITAS!," wailed Harry, rubbing his head with a sniff.

"Please be quiet, Fulcio. You'll give us a bad name in the almighty Messrs. Moony and Padfoot's eyes," said Luna, her blue eyes twinkling with glee as Harry folded his arms, pouting.

"Hehehe! I get it! Fulcio is Padfoot, Scientia is me, Carus is Wormtail, and Equitas is Prongs!," said Remus, finally understanding. They all grinned, nodding.

"Got it in one!," said Hermione, grinning and holding up her index finger for emphasis.

* * *

**READ AND REVIEW! -tosses Sylwithia and MoonyIsTheMan a bucket each of cookie points-**

**Heehee, OOC Harry is so much like me. He's too wrapped up in his victory to hold it all in. :) **

**Fulcio - Latin word for 'strengthen' - Harry  
Scientia - Latin word for 'knowledge' - Hermione  
Carus - Latin word for 'beloved' - Luna  
Equitas - Latin word for 'justice' - Ginny**

**My Latin sucks, though, so I think those are wrong...  
**


	14. They Know

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Ginny yawned, crossing her thin, freckled arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair as she listened to Professor Binns' latest lecture about the Goblin War of whatever-year-they-felt-like-warring-in. She shot a glance at Luna, who was bent over a piece of paper, doodling like her life depended on it. Ginny grinned. You could always trust Luna to be listening, even if it didn't look like she was. 

"And who can tell me the name of these two goblin generals?," called Binns, and Luna's hand shot into the air as she continued to doodle absent-mindedly, turning her lamp-like blue eyes on the phantom teacher as if bored. He pointed to her. "Lovegood?"

Lovegood. He'd gotten her name right. Everyone woke up and stared at Binns in awe, but Luna just took it into stride.

"Sir, the two goblin generals were named...," Ginny zoned out again, only to feel a tap on her shoulder. She turned to look, and Colin Creevey sat there, looking amazed.

"Is it just me or did the Professor actually get Lovegood's name right?," he asked in hushed tones, and Ginny nodded. "He did? Wow. By the way, mind getting me Harry's auto-"

Ginny glared at him, and he fell silent. Soon, the class was right back in it's usual stupor.

* * *

"Harry!," called Ron as he entered the Defense classroom, shooting a wary look at Sirius, who was actually in his human form, sitting on Remus' desk and wearing a red-and-gold sweater and blue denim jeans. His long hair had been brushed and chopped shorter, no doubt by Mrs. Weasley, who'd visited Hogwarts the day before because Fred and George had gotten into trouble, so that it was now shoulder-length, and he had a grin on his face, which didn't look at all like he'd ever even _seen_ Azkaban. 

Harry turned around at his desk and grinned. "Hey Ron," he said, smiling.

"Don't you 'Hey Ron' me! You weren't at Quidditch last night! Wood was furious! He kept tormenting me about where you were! ...Where were you?," Ron asked, turning slightly red.

"I was helping fix _that_," said Harry, pointing at Sirius, who was laughing at something Remus had said.

"You do realize that he's still on the run and he could get arrested, right?," Ron told him, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, Remus went to the Ministry after we'd finished fixing Sirius' outlook, and got him a fair trial. 'Course, he didn't get back until around three this morning," replied Harry. Ron looked at their teacher silently. He did look very tired...But then again, he always did! There were bags under his amber eyes, and his grey-flecked hair simply hung around his face like a blanket. He looked up at his students, who were all staring at Sirius, who was studying his nails with quite a bit of disinterest.

"Good afternoon, class. In case some of you haven't noticed, we have a visitor here today. May I introduce my dear friend Sirius Black?," he told them, and a few people gasped. Remus chuckled. "Don't worry. He won't kill or bite any of you. He's under strict orders from the Ministry not to so much as poke any of you, which I know he's tempted to do."

Sirius grinned, kicking Remus lightly in the back. "Git," he said. "I wouldn't poke yer students. Maybe I'd dangle 'em from the ceiling by their ankle like was done while we were in school...by me...But nothing more." Everyone laughed, but a few laughs were nervous.

"Anyway," continued Remus. "Today we will be learning about..."

"WEREWOLVES! OOOOH!," shouted Sirius, causing Harry and Ron to laugh and Hermione to frown disapprovingly.

"...Yes...Anyway, if you will all turn to page 394, Miss Granger will the read the first paragraph?," Remus finished, copying Hermione's disapproving frown at Sirius, who had a stupid grin on his handsome face as he raked his hair with his hand and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Of course, Professor," said Hermione, smiling. She opened her book, flipping to the appropriate page and starting to read,

_"The werewolf is a creature in that exists only for a brief period of time around the full moon. At any other time, a werewolf is a normal human. However, the term werewolf is used for both the wolf-like creature and the normal human. A werewolf can be distinguished from a true wolf physically by several small distinguishing characteristics, including the pupils__, snout, and tufted tail. Most werewolves live outside of normal society and steal food to survive. A person becomes a werewolf when bitten by a werewolf in wolf-form."_

"Very good. Five points to Gryffindor. Now, any volunteers to read the next part?," Remus called once she was finished, and about half a dozen hands shot into the air. Remus chuckled and Sirius looked impressed as Remus pointed to a pale boy with a pointed chin and short white-blond hair. No doubt a Malfoy."Ah! Go ahead, Draco!"_  
_

_"Once this happens, the person must learn to manage the condition. Potion-maker Damocles Belby developed a draught called Wolfsbane which controls some of the effects of the condition; by allowing the sufferer to maintain his human mind in wolf form, it prevents him from harming others. Wolfsbane Potion is quite difficult to make, even for fully qualified wizards and is said to have a rather disgusting taste,"_ read 'Draco', then smirked when Remus rewarded him with five points to Slytherin, which the teacher seemed reluctant to do.

"Next--Parvati!," said Remus quickly, and the girl giggled and began to read.

_"The medieval chronicler Gervase of Tilbury associated the transformation with the appearance of the full moon; however, there is evidence that the association existed among the Ancient Greeks, appearing in the writings of Petronius. This concept was rarely associated with the werewolf until the idea was picked up by fiction writers. In popular culture, a werewolf can be killed only if shot by a silver bullet, although this was not a feature of the folk legends__,"_ she read, giggling again as Remus rewarded her with five points to Gryffindor again.

"And finally-Harry!"

Harry blinked. He hadn't raised his hand, but now all eyes were on him. He scowled, looking down at the text, and quickly found where they were before continuing the page.

_"The name most likely derives from Old English _"wer"_ and _"wulf."_ The first part, _"wer"_, translates as "man." It has cognates in several Germanic languages including Gothic _"wair"_, Old High German _"wer"_, and Old Norse _"verr"_, as well as in other Indo-Europian languages, such as Latin_ "vir"_, Irish _"fear"_, Lithuanian _"vyras"_, and Welsh _"gŵr"_, which have the same meaning. The second half, _"wulf"_, is the ancestor of modern English "wolf"; in some cases it also had the general meaning "beast,"_ he read, and Remus smiled.

"Another five points to Gryffindor. Oh, Sirius-Did you have something to add?," Remus asked, looking annoyed as Sirius grinned evilly. Something that was never good.

"Why, yes I did, Moony! I'd like to add that I have met a werewolf, and inform your students that he does not support Voldemort-," people cringed, "-nor is he a bad person. In fact, he's the kindest person I've ever met, and is a Gryffindor. He would never even _think_ of joining the "Dark Side" of magic," he said, and Remus chuckled before turning to the class.

"Alright everyone, homework tonight!," he said, and everyone groaned, even Hermione. "Now, now, don't complain. I may let Sirius loose on you," he joked, and everyone laughed while Sirius scowled. "Homework tonight! I want a foot-long essay on how to recognize a werewolf. Due on my desk by end of class tomorrow! All right, go on, you lot!"

The class filed out of the classroom until only Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Pansy, two boys and two girls were left.

The first unknown girl, who Remus recognized as the girl who'd responded to 'Caitlin Ford', and she had chin-length brown hair and pale skin, a pair of chocolate brown eyes gazing steadily out of thin, metal-framed glasses. Beside her was a shorter, more plump girl with very messy black hair and large hazel eyes, who Remus recognized as 'Jarah Hostelle'.

The unknown boys were both rather short for their age, and reminded Remus a bit of James and Sirius as teenagers. Both had dirty blond hair, but the first one had a bit of an overbite and bright blue eyes that any girl could get lost in, and the other had glasses and brown eyes that seemed to smile at you. 'Wesley Hall' and 'Colin Warrix.'

Caitlin laughed at something Wesley said, and Wesley did a little dance, throwing his arms into the air and dropping all his books. Jarah pointed at him and laughed, only to have him scowl and chase her from the room, yelling. Colin and Caitlin laughed, Colin hurrying to pick up Wesley's dropped books to avoid being chased himself, and Caitlin gazing at him almost lovingly as she offered him her bag to drop them in. They both smiled, hurrying from the room as the other five students in the room warily approached Remus' desk.

Remus looked at them. "Er, hello. Did you need something, students?," he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They know," said the trio, pointing at the two Slytherins.

"We know," said the Slytherin couple simultaneously.

* * *

**READ AND REVIEW!**

**And so y'all know, YES, the two girls and two boys are me and my friends Jarah, Wesley and Colin, but those aren't our real names:) **

** Syl: Lol, I usually do SBRL stories, and I think people expect it of me. Thanks for saying you'll continue reading! -tosses a few more cookie points-****  
**


	15. They're WHAT!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Remus: Well, now, Syl, I can't very well use myself as a threat, can I?**** That'd be preposterous.**

**Sirius: -cowers from the big word-**

**Remus: -sighs-  
**

* * *

Remus blanched. From the look on Harry's face, he knew that it was his lycanthropy they knew about. "How did you find out?," he asked, his voice quavering slightly, but remaining calm. 

"Well, we haven't gotten to werewolves in our books yet, have we?," asked Pansy, smirking.

"And you're always ill on the full moon. I checked my Astronomy charts," added Draco.

"Plus, you look way too old and worn to be thirty-three," Pansy finished, examining her nails carefully. "But you went to school with Professor Snape, and I know for a fact that he _is_ thirty-three, so you have to be."

Remus nodded, ignoring Sirius murmur of, "damn that Snivellus". He smiled. "I've never had anyone find out about my lycanthropy on their own. Congratulations. Ten points to Slytherin for figuring it out," said Remus, and Pansy and Draco looked shocked.

"A Gryffindor teacher giving Slytherins points without twitching? Whoa, you sure you're not insane?," asked Draco, and Remus chuckled.

"Well, I really don't care. Why don't you all join me for dinner tonight in my office? Sirius and I have superb pull with the house-elves," offered Remus, and they all agreed before running off. Remus walked over, closing the door.

"So clever," he murmured, chuckling. He felt thin but strong arms wrap around his waist.

"As are you, Moony."

**xxxxx**

Ron frowned. "Whaddya think is up with Sirius and Professor Lupin?," he asked Hermione, Harry, Draco, and Pansy. "Sirius looked kinda angry when Harry told Remus about you guys knowing." 

Hermione and Harry turned red. "Well, they _are_ really close, Ronald! Perhaps he just didn't want to have other people knowing!," squeaked Hermione. Ron frowned.

"What'd you two do?," he asked cautiously, stopping them. Draco and Pansy frowned, crossing their arms.

"Well...Not just us, really-"

"Ginny and Luna-"

"Offered-"

"Harry's idea-"

"You helped!"

"Harry, that's not the poin-"

"Wait, wait, wait...You two, Weaslet, and Loony Lovegood followed one of Potter's plans? For what?," asked Malfoy.

"Well...Remus and Sirius are totally in love, but they didn't know it, so we sorta made Remus confess his feelings by locking them in a room together and refusing to let them out until Remus did confess, and...," Hermione trailed off, unable to breath.

"They're together?," Harry offered weakly. The two Slytherins looked dumb-founded.

* * *

**READ AND REVIEW!**

**-tosses twouble a couple cookie points-**

**Also, if you'd like me to add a smex scene, I can add a seperate chapter (as a one-shot) for those of you who want to have a bit of Remus/Sirius-Rated-M lovin'. -winks-  
**


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